An electrical engineering firm brought in to assist in the investigation was unable to determine the cause of the blaze, Champaign County officials announced. It may have been electrical wiring or an electric heater but investigators were unable to rule definitively, investigators said. The investigation is now complete.
The fire ripped through a trailer in the 11600 block of U.S. Route 36 early in the morning March 21.
Nathan Skaggs, 2; Patrick Snelling, 8; Breonna Snelling, 10; and Cassandra Karg, 10, died in the fire. Two adults, Phillip Skaggs Jr. and Christina Gregg, both escaped with Natalia, their infant daughter.
The investigation continued for several months since the fire, and early investigations showed no evidence that the fire was set intentionally.
Several neighbors said the family had been dealing with electrical problems in the home for several days before the fire.
The Ohio Fire Marshal’s Office initially said they believed the fire started in the living room, and there were no smoke detectors in the home.
The fire was devastating for community members, who held a joint funeral for the children at the Graham Middle School in St. Paris.
Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0355 or msanctis@coxohio.com.
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